Honour Your Parents For It Is Right

I was once the meanest, rudest and somewhat disrespectful child any parent could ever ask for. I could recall the many times when I displayed many different attitudes at home living with my family. I thought saying what I wanted and doing what I wanted when I wanted to was the way to act. I had seen many around me behave a certain way and say I would never act that way, yet at home I displayed those same behavioral patterns. As youths we grow up thinking that we are coming of age to do as we please just because we start developing the physical characteristics of an adult. Many times people on the outside would say to my mom, “Your daughters are so quiet and different to so many of the other neighborhood children.” Yes I was very outspoken in public, not the friendliest, but I got along with many because of my love for making people around me laugh and the fact that I was just the “cutest little child ever” in their eyes. However, at home my relationship with my mom was great but my disrespect for her was awful. I have never really cared what people say or think towards me because I had put up a barrier thinking that whatever they say does me no harm. I took that same attitude towards my mother and it resulted in many arguments because I would block out whatever she said thinking “I don’t care” or “please just leave me alone”. Even as I aged into my young adult years after graduating high school I still believed that “well I am now of age and she can’t tell me what to do.” I would provoke my mother everyday into anger knowing that I would not be beaten but an argument would stem from such and could choose to prolong that argument or leave it. The enemy had found a way to cause havoc in my home and he was using me to do it.

After getting saved and straying a few times then finally making a decision to go all the way with God, I can recall one Sunday the Man of God was ministering on honoring those placed in authority over you and it hit me! God was using the Apostle to minister to me; I heard that word as if it was God Himself standing in front of me speaking. I went home and the message pondered in my thoughts. The enemy began to stir havoc and after pushing my mother into anger I literally cried because I had fallen into his trap yet again after having just received the word that same Sunday. Several other Sundays passed and all the messages kept convicting me until one day I said “God what are you doing? Why do I feel such hurt and pain after hearing these messages?” God took me to His Word and showed me why. I love my mother dearly and everyone else in our home but as children we tend to rebel against our parents in different ways and I was allowing the enemy to use me and cause problems in our home. I hate being told what to do and when to do it and God revealed to me through his Word that I was not submissive to my mother. Yes I loved her but I still wanted to do things my way, in my own time. I would block her out by not listening to her whenever she corrected me, I would refuse to do things at times when instructed saying “why me again”? “Why not him or her”? (my brother or sisters). I was clearly going against Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20. The Word of God tells us in John 15:16 that if we love God we are to keep His commandments and as a child of God I was not being obedient to Him. It is the will of God and His heart’s desire that as His children we are to do as He asks of us just like your earthly parents would also require of us. That’s when His Word brought light into my relationship with my mother. I loved her but I was disrespectful and disobedient and until I made that change God was very displeased with me even though He loves me. Since the awakening I have submitted myself to being obedient to my mother because it pleases the heart of God and it pleases my mother and God has done wonders in our relationship. I no longer provoke her to anger, block her out, start arguments, etc. but I listen whenever she speaks even if I may not always want to and God continues to restore our relationship every day. Why? Because as Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, lean not on your own understanding but in ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” I trusted in God after He revealed the state of our relationship and He directs us accordingly to help, heal and restore us. He is forever faithful!!